Washington
329,960 high school students

State Profile
As states work to raise their academic standards, several national high school reform initiatives are assisting them in their efforts to strengthen their high schools so that they provide students with a 21st century education and skills.

Through the profile provided here, the National High School Center offers (a) a snapshot of the state’s graduation requirements and college entrance requirements (see table below) and (b) summaries of national reform initiatives active in the state (see list below table).

High School and College Alignment in the State
The following table shows the state’s alignment between high school graduation requirements and minimum state college entrance requirements, providing a quick source for determining whether there is a gap between what students must know to graduate and what they are expected to have mastered in order to enter college.

	High School Graduation Requirements*	College Admission Requirements
*English Units*	3	4

*Mathematics Units*	3	3
		Algebra II or higher
*Social Studies*	2.5	3
	U.S. History, Washington State History	U.S. History, Washington State History
*Science Units*	2	2
	1 science w/lab	1 science w/lab
*Foreign Language Units*	N/S	2 Courses must be in the same language
*Art Units*	1	1
*Additional Units*	Health and Fitness – 2 Occupational Education – 1 Electives - 5.5
*Total Units*	20	15
*Tests*	High School Proficiency Exam (HSPE)	SAT or ACT
Source	Washington Office of Superintendent of Public Instruction	Washington Office of Superintendent of Public Instruction

* Local districts may set more stringent requirements beyond the required units.

National High School Improvement Initiatives at Work in the State
As states work to ready high school students for postsecondary success, many are partnering with national organizations to undertake high school improvement efforts. The following list includes national improvement initiatives at work in the state. National initiatives are defined as significant programs, projects, technical assistance, or key information clearinghouses dedicated to high school improvement. For information about and related to research on these initiatives, please click on the name of the initiative to link to a synthesis:

Washington State High School Improvement Initiatives
For information on high school improvement initiatives launched at the state level visit Washington’s School Improvement Web page.

Washington ARRA Information
For information on Washington's ARRA efforts as it relates to education, please visit the state Web page.

Washington 329,960 high school students

Washington
329,960 high school students